Worries
by Kumorimisora
Summary: Yuffie and Aeris are stuck in a building because of a snowstorm, and Yuffie talks with Aeris about her feelings of Vincent. Mush seems to be the mode of my writing lately. o_0 R
1. The First Worries

A/N: hey, minna. um, yeah.. Ok, I don't have anything to say.  
  
Disclaimer: *in speakerphone* FF7 is not mine, and neither are any of the characters! Just wanted to let you know! *ducks people nearby who are angry at having their ears screamed out* .hehehe. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
Yuffie turned from the hearth to stare at her friend. "Why am I alive?"  
  
Aeris stared at her for a moment. Where did that come from?  
  
"Because you're needed." She said flatly.  
  
"By who?" asked the brunette, her eyes reflecting the fire as she turned her back to her Cetra friend.  
  
Aeris didn't have to think twice. "Me, Cloud, Tifa, Red, Barret, Cid."  
  
She didn't realize she had left out a name.  
  
"Oh." Yuffie said softly. Her eyes were filling with tears.  
  
"Yuffie." said Aeris softly, stepping to her friend's side.  
  
Silly Aeris. Yuffie thought. She just had to go and notice that I was crying, didn't she.  
  
Yuffie stepped away and set one hand on the frosty glass of a windowpane. They were in the building because of a severe snowstorm, and she was slowly getting colder and colder despite the warmth from the fire. The others were somewhere outside, probably at a village looking for help. So it was just Yuffie and Aeris.  
  
The ice melted at her touch, and Yuffie watched the slow trickles as they went down the window. A tear slid down her cheek. Aeris noticed the similarity.  
  
"Yuffie, what's wrong?" she asked, emerald eyes filled with concern.  
  
The other girl shivered. "Nothing," she lied, and slid slowly down the wall, settling on the floor with her back pressed up against the chilly structure. She folded her legs up and wrapped her arms around her knees, resting her head on it. Aeris sat down beside her.  
  
"I know that's not true," she chided softly. Her honey-brown braid slid down over her shoulder as she reached out to comfort Yuffie. "What is it?"  
  
Yuffie blinked eyes that were bleary from silent tears. Aeris's gorgeous eyes were too soft to be emerald, but they still held that brilliance and concern. Her soft hair framed her heart-shaped face, giving her an innocent look that only added to her beauty. Her soft, creamy complexion was free from blemishes or lines, and it was somehow both wise and youthful.  
  
Her slender arms hugged Yuffie around the shoulders and the girls didn't have the heart to refuse the comforting embrace.  
  
Yuffie looked down. Aeris was pretty, thin and well developed. How could she compete for someone's attention with a girl like that? Yuffie look at her arms, which were scarred in some places from fighting monsters.  
  
She had always considered herself rather plain. Her chocolate brown eyes were something that she ignored, and she ignored her own youthfulness in her own confused jealousy. She wanted to be like Aeris, who was selfless, quiet, loved by everyone, and pretty.  
  
All she would ever be, or so she thought, was just another ninja thief. Plain, plain ninja thief.  
  
"I." she hesitated. This was hard to say. "I want to be like you!" she blurted, and Aeris started.  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
Yuffie sighed. "Do you like Vincent?"  
  
Aeris laughed suddenly. "No, Yuffie. I can tell you do, though. And you know what?"  
  
She winked at her friend. "I think that he likes you too. But you have to give him some time."  
  
Yuffie started in turn. "What?"  
  
"Remember about his past?"  
  
Yuffie nodded.  
  
"You have to take that into account," said Aeris.  
  
"I see," said Yuffie, and looked down again.  
  
"What's the matter? That's not all, I can tell."  
  
The ninja but her lip. "I. I really want to be like you."  
  
"Why?" asked Aeris, her eyes careful yet caring.  
  
"Because you're so pretty, and so nice. And I'm not."  
  
Yuffie thought that she was being honest with herself. Aeris gasped. "Yuffie! Do you really think of yourself that way?"  
  
The other did not answer.  
  
"I'm not pretty. Look at Tifa. She's pretty. I'm not. You are. But I'm not. I'm just a flower girl. I can't do anything really special, Yuffie. You can. People always think of me as nice and selfless."  
  
Yuffie looked searchingly at Aeris. "What do you mean?"  
  
"I can be just as selfish as anyone. I love Cloud, Yuffie. But Tifa is meant to be with him, and I'm not. But I just can't give up on him."  
  
Yuffie stared, not quite believing. "You mean, you don't like Vinnie?"  
  
"No," Aeris chuckled, "and I wish you the best of luck with him."  
  
The thief smiled. "Thanks. But I don't know if it's reciprocated. I don't think so. I mean, he barely talks to me."  
  
"He doesn't talk to anyone else. He talks to you more than me," she laughed. "Don't be so harsh on yourself, Yuffie."  
  
The other sighed. "You're right."  
  
At that moment, the door was kicked in. Both girls stared. Vincent stood there, his cape billowing out behind him.  
  
"Yuffie! Aeris!" he called. The two jumped up.  
  
Yuffie, in traditional Yuffie behavior, threw herself dramatically at him, crying, "Vinnie!" He sidestepped and the teenager landed on her face.  
  
Or rather, on Red, who hadn't seen her in time to get out of the way. As Yuffie picked herself up she heard Aeris giggling.  
  
Yuffie looked up at Vincent, ready for revenge. Time to steal Death Penalty, Yuffie! She thought gleefully.  
  
The thief inched her hand in towards the holster at Vincent's side. And found that she couldn't move her hand. She looked up and found that 'Vinnie' had seen her already and was holding her hand in a very firm grip.  
  
Yuffie flushed.  
  
"Hey, let's go before another storm hits," called Cloud, and everyone automatically obeyed him, moving towards the door.  
  
Aeris looked over and saw Yuffie being towed by an annoyed looking Vincent. Giggling, she winked at her, and got a wink in return, then dashed after Cloud and Tifa, mythril rod in one hand and Yuffie's forgotten shurriken in the other.  
  
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A/N: whoa! That turned out different than I thought. this is my first -shared- FF7 ficcie. r&r, please! 


	2. And Some More

A/N: Hey! Thanks to everyone who reviewed on my last chapter. Thanks to the reviews that I got, I have decided to turn my original one-shot into a multi-chapter. This is going to be a Yuffentine (duh!) but it will not- I repeat WILL NOT be anything explicit! So if you don't like that, then pooh to you and go away. If you have any ideas that you would like to add for the benefit of me, your dear author, it would be appreciated and I'll give you credit for it as well. You might get something high in sugar as a reward. Who knows?  
  
A/N2: I haven't played this game in a while, and due to a lack of info sources, some of the locations may seem a bit funny to those of you who hold a personal FF7 shrine. Sorry, and please review and tell me if I screw up!  
  
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The group had finally made their way back to a small but respectable hotel that they would be staying. The room set up was typical, but there were three beds to a room. Though it was obvious certain members of the party would have rather stayed alone, Cloud had said no to cut down on costs. And since everyone (except for Vincent, of course) had a say in that matter, it was decided that they would.  
  
Tifa, Aeris, and Yuffie in the first room. Cloud, Cait Sith, and Barrett in the second. Vincent, Nanaki, and Cid in the last. So, with that decided, the respective people set off to their rooms with the various luggage.  
  
"Hey!" shouted Yuffie in Aeris's ear, who just grinned at her.  
  
"Hey, Yuffie," she replied, ever friendly and not seeing the least bit annoyed at the loud ninja shouting in her ear.  
  
Obviously disappointed, Yuffie gave Aeris a pat on the back and went to antagonize Vincent.  
  
"Hey!" she shouted in his ear. Vincent flinched; his super sensitive ears and Yuffie's super loud voice didn't seem to match.  
  
However, Vincent was as polite and cool as Aeris was friendly and warm, and he replied with a sort of masked calm, "Hello, Yuffie."  
  
Yuffie, disappointed again, slung her back around to gently thump him in the back.  
  
"What's wrong Vinnie?" she crooned, using her favorite pet name for him. Grinning wickedly, the short girl danced around him on her tippy-toes as the group walked down the hall.  
  
Behind the two, Aeris shoved an elbow into Tifa's rib. "Look at that," she whispered, emerald eyes glowing.  
  
"They're so cute," agreed Tifa, her voice a whisper as well.  
  
"I'm fine, nothing is wrong, Yuffie," said Vincent stiffly. Stopping abruptly, he set down the bags onto the dimly lit wooden floor and unlocked the door to his room with the key the clerk had given him.  
  
Yuffie grinned, though she was again disappointed by the lack of reaction. Turning to face Tifa, her bag flew around and ruffled the fur on Nanaki's back, but smacked Cait Sith squarely in the face.  
  
The stuffed cat spluttered, but before he could react, Yuffie was dancing down the hall after Tifa and Aeris, who were sharing a look that clearly said, "She's too cute!"  
  
Suddenly Yuffie stopped and yawned largely. "Tifa!" she screeched.  
  
Tifa winced. "Yeah, what is it?"  
  
Yuffie yawned another ear-splitting yawn. "Can we go in the room now? I'm really kinda tired."  
  
Tifa nodded and rummaged through her pocket, but came up empty- handed. Aeris smiled slightly. "I have the key, Tifa."  
  
Tifa grinned a funny little grin, and Aeris tossed the key to Yuffie, who caught it running and nearly went smack into a wall. The two older women heard a snort from behind them and Cloud's spiky hair disappeared through the doorway as they turned.  
  
Both sets of eyes turned a misty hue and snapped back just as fast, then they shared another, more competitive look and followed Yuffie into their room, shoes pattering lightly on the wooden floor.  
  
Seeing, as soon as she peered inside the room, the ever-thoughtful Aeris picked one of the randomly placed torches on the wall, which dimly lit the hallway, and brought it into the room to light it.  
  
It was furnished cozily, not too costly but not scruffy. There were indeed three beds, though they were only twin sized. The sheets were simple cotton, and were the pillow covers. The room itself was a pleasant temperature compared to outside, where it had begun to lightly snow again.  
  
Yuffie had taken the liberty of claiming herself the first shower, and neither of the older women protested. However, Aeris's eyes seemed to glow in the dark and Tifa felt inclined to ask the angel-on-earth a question.  
  
"Aeris." she began, and trailed off.  
  
"What is it, Tifa?" asked the emerald-eyed woman, who had been peering out the small window on the south side of the room.  
  
"Are. are you scared?" Tifa choked out. This wasn't her usual thing to do. She was strong-minded, strong-willed and had a heart of her own. Unfortunately, Aeris had managed to get a lot closer to Cloud in a few weeks than she had managed to her whole life. She also seemed several degrees wiser than anyone in the group for her age, except perhaps Vincent or Nanaki.  
  
"I-" began Aeris, but she was cut short by Yuffie's sudden burst of song.  
  
"Yeah!" the girl in the shower practically yelled. "I can't get no! Sati-fac-tion!"  
  
Tifa winced and Aeris gave a lighthearted grin.  
  
"Of that, yes," teased the pink-clad woman. She seated herself on the closest piece of furniture, which happened to be a bed. Smoothing the cover, she looked at Tifa for a moment. "Yes, and no.  
  
When Tifa opened her mouth, Aeris waved a hand at her. "I know, I know," said the staff-bearer to the fist-fighter, "That's not much help. All I can do is hope and keep praying. I'm pretty confident that with all of us, all of our friends, I mean, that we'll be able to take on anything in our path."  
  
Tifa gave a tight smile. "Thanks."  
  
"Anytime," sighed Aeris.  
  
At that moment, Yuffie burst out of the shower room, grinning broadly. "Hello!"  
  
Tifa grinned. "Feeling refreshed after and unsuccessful day of antagonizing?"  
  
Yuffie put on a look of mock-astonishment and waltzed over to the bed, tossing her dirty clothes into a small pack. Tifa leapt up to tickle her, and screeching, Yuffie dove over the bed in an attempt to escape. Aeris giggled form the sidelines as Yuffie crawled under the bed and Tifa pounced on her from the other side as soon as she emerged, tickling her mercilessly.  
  
"I give! I give!" Yuffie shouted, laughing even after Tifa sat back.  
  
Tifa looked pointedly at Aeris. "You want the next shower?"  
  
Aeris shook her head. "No, go ahead."  
  
The fist fighter grinned slightly. "Thanks, flower girl."  
  
The other woman's smile broadened. Smiling, she leaned down and picked up Tifa's pack, which was resting near her foot. Giving it a loose toss, she sent it flying at Tifa, who caught it easily and walked into the bathroom.  
  
Aeris yawned and stretched a bit, then reached into her own small pack and pulled out a few toiletries as well as a pale pink sleeping gown. When she sat back up, Yuffie was sprawled out of her bed, resting on her elbows, watching her. The thrum of the shower started, as if it were distant.  
  
"What is it, Yuffie?" asked Aeris, setting her stuff on a nearby table, which also held a pretty vase with some daffodils. She gracefully sat fully in the chair she had been on the edge of.  
  
"You give good advice, you know?" said Yuffie, her voice close to monotone. Something was obviously bothering her again.  
  
"Thanks, Yuffie. I try my best."  
  
Yuffie sighed and rolled over, almost falling off the bed. Instead she lay there on her back, head flopped over the edge of the bed with her chocolate eyes trained on Aeris's emerald ones.  
  
"Yeah. I do too. But somehow, your best always seems better than mine."  
  
Aeris, a bit taken aback, leaned into the chair further. Had Godo been teaching her that she wasn't good enough as she was?  
  
"Don't say that!" she exclaimed. "You're really special, Yuffie. Where did you come up with the idea that I was better than you? I'm not. We're just different."  
  
"Ah," replied Yuffie, and she rolled back over on her stomach.  
  
Aeris chuckled. "I know, I know. I was sixteen once, too. This is the time when you really start to feel it, am I right?"  
  
"What do you mean?" demanded Yuffie, eyeing the flower girl suspiciously.  
  
"You love Vincent. Not love like you would a pet, or your parents, but you really love him. You feel like you can't live without him?" Aeris focused on her keenly. Yuffie just sat there, trembling.  
  
"Am I that obvious?" she asked softly.  
  
"Nah. I just know what people are thinking," laughed Aeris. Yuffie smiled as well.  
  
"Hmm." murmured Yuffie, and then she sat up. "Can you give me any advice?"  
  
"What kind of advice?" asked Aeris, pleased to finally be acting as a good older sister. She had always envied the slum girls; even though they were poor, they always had someone to watch their back. She had always been the one watching out for the children, and though she dearly loved them. this was fun.  
  
"About Vinnie," said Yuffie promptly, using her favorite pet name for the silent man.  
  
"Ohhh, let's see." murmured Aeris. The shower slowed, whistled, and stopped. "I know he was a Turk."  
  
"Yeah," said Yuffie eagerly.  
  
"And he loved a woman named Lucrecia- But!" she cut in before Yuffie could say anything. "She's dead. You remember."  
  
"Yeah," said Yuffie, recalling the pained expression on Vincent's normally shuttered face.  
  
"I know he likes guns," she giggled, "but I bet you can see that."  
  
Yuffie laughed. "Yes."  
  
"However, though he doesn't seem scared of people, he just seems. hesitant to get to know anyone." Finished Aeris.  
  
"I see," said Yuffie, nodding her head slowly. She pounded her fist into her palm. "Then it's my mission!"  
  
Aeris laughed at Yuffie's eagerness as Tifa stepped out of the shower room.  
  
"What'd I miss?" she asked, looking at the other occupants of the room.  
  
"Nothin'." murmured Yuffie. "Nothing important, at least." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
In the next room, the man that the two had spoken of lay, listening and feeling guilty about his eavesdropping. How could Yuffie feel that way? It's probably curiosity.  
  
Yuffie had never expressed anything to him except for an interest of antagonizing him to no end, which he ignored. The two women, Aeris and Yuffie, probably didn't expect for his super-human hearing to be able to pick up on their discussion, but he did with ease through the relatively thin walls.  
  
Yuffie, if I felt the same way to you, I know you I couldn't allow you any closer to someone like me. I don't think you could understand anything to this magnitude. It's a lot more than you could understand now.It's not love, so just give up on it Yuffie, while you still have the chance. Lady of Wutai, you don't know who I am yet. yet.  
  
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A/N: there ya go, everyone! I appreciate you all reviewing my little story here. I don't think you know how much it means to me! *^_~* Welllll. if you have any comments, constructive criticism (I repeat constructive!!!) or suggestions, they are all appreciated! 


	3. The Acceptance

A/N: *evil grin* Hello, all you readers. Why don't you make yourself readers and reviewers? I know that I have been lazy, but I had a writer's block! *throws away writer's block* I'm all better for FF7..... Oh, any of you G-Gundam peoples! I am not continuing 'Hiding Everything' Just thought I'd let you know.  
  
D/C: I don't own this. Just the plot. *^_^* Yuffie and Vinnie forever!  
  
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THWACK!! THWACK!! THWACK!!  
  
Yuffie rolled over in bed, shoving her pillow over her head.  
  
THWACK!! THWACK!! THWACK!!  
  
The ninja groaned, and looked around the room, peeking out from underneath her pillow with bleary eyes. Was it even light outside yet?  
  
THWACK!! "Come!" THWACK!! THWACK!! "OUT!"  
  
Yuffie frowned. That sounded a lot like Cloud.  
  
Waugh!  
  
Yuffie rose quickly from bed, and the instant her feet hit the floor, there was another loud 'THWACK!!' on the door. She padded over to the door, and froze as she heard another voce.  
  
"I'm sorry, sir," said a curt voice. Yuffie's eyes widened. "But I am going to have to ask you to leave or please desist in banging on that door. There are other customers trying to sleep, and you are disturbing them."  
  
"Sorry," Cloud's voice mumbled. Yuffie had to keep from laughing out loud.  
  
Yuffie felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned quickly, guilty-eyed, to see Tifa, just as bleary-eyed as she had been before.  
  
"Why didn't you just go out and make him stop banging on the stupid door, Yuffie?" The fist-fighter covered a huge yawn and stretched lithely.  
  
"Uh..." Yuffie couldn't really think of an answer. "I..."  
  
"Gah..." muttered Tifa, and winced as her back popped.  
  
Aeris came to join them at the doorway, smiling. She looked as unruffled as ever, her honey-brown hair somehow still neat, even after the night of sleep. Her emerald eyes were drowsy, however.  
  
"Good morning, Yuffie, Tifa," she said with a warm smile.  
  
"Mornin'," said Yuffie, and yawned.  
  
"Good morning, Aeris," said Tifa, smiling.  
  
Yuffie's stomach growled rather loudly, and both older women turned to look at the young thief. "Uh... heh heh..."  
  
"Hungry? I am too," said Aeris, and slung a friendly arm around Yuffie's shoulder. "Let's go get breakfast."  
  
"In these clothes?" asked Tifa, her sleepy eyes widening slightly.  
  
"Yah," said Yuffie, "Why not?"  
  
Tifa blinked. Her nightgown was long and quite modest, compared to her usual outfit. She supposed it wouldn't be that bad...  
  
"Okay," she agreed slowly.  
  
"Great," said Aeris, and they unlatched the door and opened it.  
  
"Waaah!!!" yelped Cloud, and fell into their room, quite literally.  
  
"Uh... Cloud?" all three said in unison. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Ooh! That was great!" said Yuffie happily.  
  
Cloud and the others had come to join them at breakfast. The man at the counter didn't seem to mind that the three were still in their nightgowns.  
  
"But Cloud," began Tifa.  
  
"What is it, Teef?" he asked, a pancake halfway in his mouth. His Mako eyes were large and innocent. Tifa had to bite her lip for a moment to keep from laughing.  
  
"Why on earth did you wake us up so early?" Aeris yawned, and delicately sipped at her tea, still looking bleary eyed.  
  
Cait Sith tried to fit up the stairwell, and then realized that he only had to walk down the hall. His stuffed face was annoyed for a moment, and then he wandered off in that direction. There was a loud thump, presumably as he hit the wall, then some mumbling and then silence.  
  
Cloud gulped down his pancake, took a swig of milk, and then cleared his throat. Yuffie looked at Vincent out of the corner of her eye. He was reclining stiffly in his chair, arms crossed over his chest, cloak settled about his shoulders. His head was tilted down, and his midnight hair was falling in front of his eyes, concealing his face.  
  
Yuffie gulped and looked back at Cloud with regret.  
  
"Erm..." muttered Cloud, then his voice picked up. "Yeah! We need to head out, ya know, to..."  
  
"To?" prompted Yuffie. Cloud looked a bit foolish.  
  
"Well, I just think we could head to Kalm, maybe?" he looked hopefully around the table as Tifa buried her face in her hands. "What?"  
  
"Gawd," said Yuffie, and slurped at her orange juice and giggled when it bubbled in her nose.  
  
"I hear that they got a new shipment of materia," he offered, and Yuffie snorted some of the orange juice up her nose, gleefully. Tifa laughed, Aeris giggled, Cloud raised an eyebrow, and Vincent had no reaction. Yuffie was secretly disappointed.  
  
Yuffie made an approving 'Hmm!' sound and nodded.  
  
"If we are going to leave," said Vincent in his quiet, morbid voice, "Should we not? It will be getting light out, and that is the best time to travel."  
  
"Right you are, Vinnie!" said Yuffie happily, chills going up her spine. Vincent cast her an annoyed look, and Yuffie was delighted to get a reaction. Even if it was just a look. And an annoyed one at that. It didn't matter to her!  
  
"Well, then," said Aeris, and stood. "I am going to go pack."  
  
"Me, too," agreed Tifa.  
  
Yuffie bounced up without saying anything. To her surprise, Vincent stood as well. She smiled to herself and jumped after Tifa. As she brushed by Vincent, his long, ebony hair brushed one of her palms. Another chill went up her spine, and she could have sworn that Vincent was looking at her. She smiled and went a little faster.  
  
  
  
"Gawd!" exclaimed Yuffie for the fiftieth time that hour. Their Chocobo leapt over another one of the many stumps that littered the 'path', as Cloud had called it. They had each managed to catch a Chocobo, as there had been a herd just outside the mile radius of the town.  
  
Those fuzzy yellow birds had not objected at all to the makeshift reins, and they were actually some semblance of tame. Yuffie was suspicious, but everyone else was determined not to look a gift horse in the mouth.  
  
Unfortunately, Cait Sith and Nanaki could not ride a Chocobo. Cait had agreed to stay in that town, as had the red dog-lion. Yuffie thought it was an absolutely boring town. It had no mastered materia, and nothing she would be interested in stealing.  
  
"Waaah!" yelped Yuffie as she bounced hard on the back of her Chocobo. Aeris and Tifa looked back at her.  
  
"You okay?" called Tifa, grinning. Yuffie nodded, but the movement was barely distinguishable from the bounce of the Chocobo.  
  
Vincent looked at Yuffie from the corner of his eye. Where some people might have seen an ungainly sixteen year old, he saw a beautiful and-wait! He could not be thinking these thoughts. Where was his discipline? He shoved them into the back of his mind, where they danced and pestered him like small children.  
  
For some odd reason that Vincent could not quite put his finger on, Yuffie stirred something deep within his heart, the cold metallic thing that it was. Something he had not felt since...... Lucrecia. No, that would not do. He refused to let himself be taken advantage of like that again.  
  
Cloud looked over at Vincent, who was looking at Yuffie, who was very close to faceplanting in the ground. A question sprung to mind. Why the h3ll was he looking at her like that?  
  
Yuffie screeched as she was knocked off of the Chocobo, but this time not by a bump. A huge monster in the shape of a rat had attacked her from behind. Vincent's face hardened and he jumped off of his Chocobo in motion. Tifa, Aeris, Cloud, Barret, and Cid were a bit slower at it, but they got off.  
  
The young ninja cried out as it tore a large gash in her arm. Her good arm, her right one, was now useless as anything but a lump of meat. Vincent drew Death Penalty, but the rat-creature whipped Yuffie around in front of it, like a human shield.  
  
"It's intelligent....." murmured Vincent.  
  
He and the others formed a line, and attacked in turn. Tifa was the only one who could really get in close enough to get in a blow without endangering Yuffie, but even that was rare. The wind picked up and stung in their eyes, but Vincent didn't blink.  
  
His-no, Yuffie-was stuck there, helpless. The monster gnawed at her arm, and she smacked it angrily across the muzzle. It gave a sharp squeak and dropped her right arm, but her left arm was not of any use.  
  
Yuffie tried to stand, but the rat's whip-like tail lashed out and knocked her feet from underneath her. The AVALANCHE members could only watch in horror; their friend was being mutilated, and they could do nothing.  
  
Vincent simmered silently, until his blood was at a boil and he was seeing red. He was angry when one of his friends got hurt, but this was out of the question. He had known Yuffie for months, yet he had known the others, too! Why was his reaction to this so strong?  
  
He holstered his beloved gun and focused his energy into a white-hot point. Suddenly he realized what was going on. The Chocobos, though normally tame, warked and ran away as fast as they could. Cid and Barret exchanged glances and ran after them, leaving Yuffie helpless, Cloud, equally helpless, the girls, and Vincent.  
  
Yuffie looked at him as the rat shook her arm, its too long teeth cutting in hard. The sweet taste of her blood was only fueling its primitive blood lust, and her reaction was honing the present anger.  
  
The Wutainese girl cried out again as the bone crunched finally, and the last of Vincent's control disappeared at the look in her eyes; a look of utter despair and agony. His Yuffie, his friend! What was he thinking?  
  
IT DOESN'T MATTER ANYMORE, Chaos informed him, and he felt the wings rip through his back, and blood seeped down the hardened muscles. I AM IN CONTROL NOW!  
  
Vincent knew that Chaos was right, and let him have his control. Vincent/Chaos let out a triumphant shriek and charged the staring beast. The last bit of conscious thought that Vincent had made him remember Yuffie. He looked down, and there was the Ninja, not with fear, but with a look of gratefulness in her eyes.  
  
Chaos took control and Vincent didn't remember anything else.  
  
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Yuffie felt her arm snap and cried out involuntarily. Vincent was furious, she could tell. No, this was not- "Ahh!" she cried again. The dark man's eyes were boiling, and suddenly wings sprouted from his back.  
  
Aeris fainted as Chaos let out a wail; not from fear but from the sheer noise. Tifa, more battle hardened, did nothing at first, but when Chaos took off, a rather large rock struck her in the forehead. Cloud bit his lip, and realizing that he could do nothing to help either anymore, went to tend to the two women.  
  
Yuffie watched Vincent's transformation with a look of amazement, which turned to gratefulness. How could she not be grateful? He was saving her life! Really, she wanted sob for Vincent, and tell him that he didn't have to do that, to run while he could, and the like.  
  
Vincent just finished the transformation. His claws slashed through the rat's head, and it was decapitated before Yuffie could blink. Vincent came back to Vincent, as Chaos's killing lust had been suppressed for a while.  
  
The rat fell beside her, dead, and Yuffie collapsed. "Cloud," she croaked, and the sword fighter looked up at her. " Go, and get attention for those two. I have the cure!" she added when he cast her a doubtful look. "I can take care of Vinnie and myself!" the name sounded like blasphemy on her tongue.  
  
Cloud nodded and hoisted them on his shoulders. He took off at a steady pace, and Barret and Cid appeared, as if on cue. After some quickly exchanged talk, they rode off on the Chocobo's backs.  
  
Yuffie crawled to Vincent, her right arm just hanging limply. It was numb from shock, anyways, she reminded herself.  
  
"Vinnie!" she whispered, her voice ragged and her breathing labored. "Oh, Vinnie, please wake up!"  
  
Vincent stirred and looked flustered even before her opened his eyes. When he did, the crimson orbs sparkled a deep color, and love flashed in his eyes.  
  
Why am I allowing myself to feel this way? He blinked a couple of times, before realizing how close their lips were..... All he had to do was lean in and...  
  
"Vinnie!" said Yuffie, and collapsed on his chest, and he held back the hiss of surprise and pain. "I love you so much, I thought..."  
  
She froze and her face turned a brilliant scarlet. "What I meant was-"  
  
"I love you too," Vincent cut her off.  
  
"What?" she demanded, her face coming closer to his.  
  
To her surprise, Vincent sat up, gripping her arms in his hand and claw, which was just as warm. There was no trace of Chaos left in his beautiful face, and hers was filled with desperate love.  
  
He pulled her into his lap, her back to him, and he was surprised when she said nothing about her arm.  
  
Of course! It was probably absolutely numb. He frowned at himself.  
  
"I said....." he leaned in closer, until his breath was on her cheek, "I love you, Yuffie. I tried to ignore it, I tried to deny it....." he took a deep breath, and Yuffie felt the tickle on her ear. "I can't anymore. How long have we known each other?"  
  
"A while," admitted Yuffie. She felt ridiculous, but so did Vincent. Here she was, sitting in Vincent's lap, in the middle of a bloody field, covered in blood, arm hanging limply, feeling no pain, admitting that she loved the man that she had dreamed about for months, feeling ridiculous. Nope, nothing was unusual.  
  
"All that time, I tried to deny it, too....." whispered Vincent. "I love you so much..."  
  
Yuffie smiled and sat up out of his lap. He looked startled and a bit hurt.  
  
"I'm sorry!" he said immediately. "I had no right-"  
  
"Silly boy," she whispered, and rummaged in her sack. Yuffie pulled out her Cure materia. Mastered, of course. "Hold still," she advised.  
  
"You should treat yourself first," he said, softly.  
  
"I'll do us both at the same time, how's that?" he nodded, and a pale green light enshrouded her. Her eyes opened and they were glowing so fiercely he wanted to lean down and kiss her, but suddenly he felt all of his aches going away. Her arm suddenly functioned.  
  
Yuffie scooted away from him, placing the orb back in her bag. She looked at him, blank-faced, and for a moment he thought it had all been a joke. Then, she leaned up, her sweet smell coming over him even though she was covered in blood, and touched her lips to his.  
  
At first it was chaste, but he deepened it bit by bit, probing with his tongue, and she pulled back and smiled. "Not yet, Vincent."  
  
He sighed, and stood. "We should get going, Yuffie,"  
  
"We should," agreed the ninja, and, delicately stepping around the corpse, picked up her Shuriken and walked back to her Vincent. She slid her small hand in his large on, and he placed his other hand nervously on the handle of his gun.  
  
"Yuffie?" he said, voice hesitant. He had never talked so much in his whole life, it seemed.  
  
"What is it, Vinnie?" she asked smiling at him. His breath caught in his chest, and he found the words at last.  
  
"Ai shiteru," he said, and she smiled and closed her eyes, leaning against his chest.  
  
"Ai shiteru, Vinnie..... Ai shiteru."  
  
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~  
  
A/N: Ok! *^_^* Was that any good? Ne? Should I continue or leave it at that? I am not sure, so review and tell me! I really didn't expect it to turn out that way, but I guess it's an okay ending! *^_^* Ja ne..... and review! *^_^*  
  
~*Kumorimisora 


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